I Am Inquisitive - Carrie
My Major: History, Technology, and Society (HTS)
What attracted me to my major...
Initially history, but then I discovered sociology and am completely hooked. Sociology forces you to be more conscientious of the effects you have on the world, individually and holistically as an active member of society. Sociology also allows you to disseminate the "taken-for-granted" aspects of our everyday world, understand the true meanings behind certain interactions, perspectives, associations, etc. Once this is achieved, the knowledge gained from this dissection can be used to implement change in those issues which are currently unjust, i.e. race or gender relations, expanding income disparities, development and underdevelopment, the list goes on and on...
Why it is cool to not be in the majority (engineering) majors at Tech...
The faculty student ratio is wonderful, you know most of your professors by their first names, you aren't afraid to ask questions outside of class or have one-on-one discussions with them. I've learned so much from conversing with my professors beyond the classroom, which I believe to be an invaluable experience.
Beyond the academic side, I think that liberal arts majors are some of the most interesting people on tech's campus, they speak several languages, have traveled the world, are well-read, can hold meaningful conversations, and are extremely well-rounded.
My favorite class so far...
My absolute favorite class thus far was an HTS class, Sociology of Development, taught by Dr. Winders. The class allowed me to understand the world economy and the processes under globalization in a way that was completely alien to me before. What I took away from this class has truly been an eye-opening experience. It actually led me to a PURA.
What my PURA (President's Undergraduate Reseach Award) is about?
Initially the research question was focused on the world economy and the effects of neoliberal policies implemented by the IMF and the World Bank and how those policies have led to the current world food crisis. Currently, the research has taken a more narrow turn focusing on the commodification of coffee in Nicaragua from 1980-2000.
What I love about living in Atlanta...
Though I enjoyed the close sense of community in my hometown, there was not much else to do in this very homogeneous town. This is one of my favorite parts about GT, living in the very heart of Atlanta. I love that there are always new places to discover, parks, concerts at small venues, little five. I also enjoy that Atlanta is a very diverse, multicultural city with events throughout the year that embrace this diversity. Regardless of where you go around Atlanta, you can always meet someone with a completely different story and perspective than your own. There are so many interesting people in the world, and I feel Atlanta has a great mesh of varying peoples.
My future pursuits after graduation...
I hope to get into a good graduate school program to pursue a PhD in Sociology. I want to eventually become a professor at a research institution.
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